Anywhere But Here
by Cally Starkiller
Summary: Determined to be anywhere but here, Anders convinces Amell to leave with him to experience freedom outside the Circle of Magi.


**Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me**  
><strong>And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free<strong>  
><strong>I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you<strong>  
><strong>And at sweet night, you are my own<strong>  
><strong>Take my hand<strong>

**Evanescence-Anywhere (inspired by) **

**Read. Review. Roadkill. **

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><p>Greagoir watched as the Amell girl paced back and forth, back and forth, back and forth-<p>

"That's what you get for running away." A templar hauled a teen boy by his shoulders, tossing him aside as if he were a rag doll.

"…Anders…?" The Amell girl whispered, blue eyes wide at the sight before her. She was hesitant to near her foolish friend, fearful that the templar would backhand her for touching him.

The templar who brought in Anders gave Greagoir a simple nod that spoke volumes and Amell noticed it right away. She wanted to question the Knight-Commander but a shaky hand stopped her. "Lorelai…"

It was Anders.

"Anders!" Lorelai Amell held his trembling hand with a vice grip, refusing to be away from him. Greagoir stepped in for a moment, telling his opinion in a low voice.

"This wouldn't have happened if only he had stayed where he belongs." And with that, the Knight-Commander left the two kids alone.

"I don't belong here." Anders mumbled, bruised face pressed to the cold stone floor.

"Yes we do…" Lorelai bit her bottom lip, hunched awkwardly over her friend. She struggled to remember her healing spell but let out a frustrated groan. All she could do now is lay down beside him on the ground.

Anders widened his big amber eyes, disbelieving what he was hearing. "Don't you want to be free?"

"I do. But…where would we go?" The faint image of a mansion with bustling people and food all around but a second later it all disappeared.

"Anywhere but here." A hazy dream from the night before when the templars ignored him for once when in his cell popped into his mind. It consisted of an endless maze of trees and no people in sight. Just private and out of place from anywhere major. No Chantry, no templars, just him and his friend.

Trying hard to repress the memories of her home life where the concept of loving protective parents did not exist, Lorelai screwed her eyes shut and opened them in a moment's time. "Nobody will take care of us out there."

"You never know. If worse comes to worst, we can take care of ourselves and sleep in some abandoned barn. Even then, at least we're free." The concept of freedom must've been what kept Anders going. Having been out there a few times already and having to come back in and suffer the pain of his actions…it must be worth it.

"…alright." Lorelai said in a small voice, a smile tugging at her lips. A warm hand rested on Anders' bloody face and a cool sensation made him sigh in relief at the pain being taken away. "There."

Anders made a move to get up but Lorelai's hand kept him down, wanting to make sure he was truly okay. The friends stayed put for awhile longer. For how long, neither were sure but at least they were together at last. It wasn't until dawn that Anders decided to take them away from here.

"Ready?" He was addicted to the outside world. He craved for its cool breeze against his skin and the unfamiliarity of everything he hoped to learn about. This time he planned to venture further to where no templars would be present. No fear of being caught by the Chantry or curious town folk or anyone for that matter.

A nod from his friend and he led the way to the secret passageway he discovered recently. Surely the templars wouldn't find this one way and hoped for luck to be on their side.

After crossing the lake Anders broke out into a contagious grin and laughed till his lungs couldn't take it. Lorelai raised a curious eyebrow at him but finally saw what he saw, felt what he felt, and knew what he knew. They did it. They made it out. They were free. For now.

Collapsing to her knees in the grass she gulped in a mouthful of air that smelt foreign to her. "Anders…" The whisper so quiet he had to strain to hear it but he heard her. And he understood. What she was feeling right now was what he felt his first time escaping.

"I know." Taking their steps away from the Circle, backs turned and never looking back, Lorelai gripped Anders' hand tightly. He didn't look down at their hands but only smiled, happy to share this tiny shred of freedom with his friend.

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><p>It was only a matter of time before the templars caught up with them. Anders thought he had it this time. But he knew…he knew he was never going to be free from them. He accepted his inevitable fate until a thought crossed his mind.<p>

He wasn't alone.

Jerking his head to meet Lorelai's terrified face he almost regretted having her come with him. But seeing her blue eyes light up at every single thing they encountered, the birds chirping, the sound of gravel underneath their feet, the soft graze of leaves falling on them…it was worth it.

It was going to be worth the pain from not being able to touch the Fade, the suffering he will endure from the templar's beatings, and the aching in his stomach from not being able to eat for days on end. Because he let his friend experience what it was like to live normally, if only for a few days.

"Anders…" Lorelai stared straightforward at the templars approaching them, a shiver going up her spine. Fear struck but regret never did. She would never regret coming out here with Anders. A flicker of a smile appeared before dissipating as the templars drew closer and closer with each step.

"I know." The recognizable touch of her hand holding his firmly made him smile as well until the drain of mana from the templar's cleanse talent hit him. Lorelai still kept a tight hold onto him, afraid of letting go and afraid of being left alone.

Luck have it, the friends never left each other's sight having been put in cells across from one another. Irving managed to convince Greagoir to ease up on the Amell girl but Greagoir insisted on punishing the Anders boy further as it wasn't his first time escaping. Disappointment crossed Irving's face when he visited Lorelai but he seemed proud of her defiant actions at the same time.

The templars ignored Lorelai for the most part but didn't hold back on Anders' account. While Lorelai sat in the corner of her cell like she always did in her room back home, being ignored, Anders endured the abuses of the templars like he always had, holding back the tears to avoid being mocked by the templars.

Their eyes meeting each other's gaze, blue seeing amber, the two friends mouthed, "Anywhere but here."


End file.
